City Report Cards — Grades for Affordability, Safety & More
Every city gets graded. Affordability, safety, weather, internet — the full GPA. No extra credit for vibes.
Los Angeles
United States · Academic Year 2026
$2433/mo — wallet weeping
7.5/100k — stay aware
27.67°C summer · 9.33°C winter low · 75% sunshine
176 Mbps — solid
$86k GDP/cap · 4.2% unemployment · 2.9% inflation
Democracy index 7.8 — solid, some caveats
EF score 650 — basically an Anglophone city
Principal's Comments
“Los Angeles shows real promise. A few rough edges, but the ceiling is high. We'd recommend Los Angeles to a friend.”
Grades based on data from Numbeo, UNODC, EIU, World Bank, EF EPI & Ookla Speedtest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the city grade calculated?▼
Each grade (A–F) comes from real data: Affordability from Numbeo rent, Safety from UNODC homicide rates, Internet from Ookla Speedtest, Democracy from EIU, Economy from World Bank/IMF, English from EF EPI. An A means top-tier globally for that metric.
Which city gets straight As?▼
No city scores an A in every category — there are always trade-offs. Singapore scores A for safety and internet but C or D for affordability. Chiang Mai scores A for affordability but C for democracy. The report card helps you spot which trade-offs matter least to you.
Which is the safest city in the world to live in?▼
Tokyo, Singapore, Vienna, and Amsterdam earn A grades for safety. Safety grades are based on homicide rates per 100,000 residents (UNODC data) — the most consistent cross-country crime measure.
Which city is most affordable for expats?▼
Southeast Asian cities (Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur) and Eastern European cities (Tbilisi, Belgrade, Krakow) earn A or B for affordability. Based on city-centre rent from Numbeo — a strong proxy for overall cost of living.
What does a D or F grade mean?▼
Below global average for that metric — not unlivable. A D in affordability (like Zurich or New York) still means a world-class city, just expensive. Use the full report card to understand which trade-offs you're making.